Arrest of killer of couple shot dead in Manila hailed by family in Pangasinan

byonNovember 8, 2013

By Leonardo V. Micua

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Nov. 7 (PNA) — The family of a couple from Lingayen who were murdered in front of their rented home in Sampaloc, Manila in March 2012 thanked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the apprehension Wednesday of a suspected gun for hire involved in the shooting of their kin.

Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue, elder brother of slain former vice mayor Ramon Arcinue of Lingayen and the latter's wife, Zorahayda, then incumbent barangay captain of Poblacion East, also in Lingayen, said his family was elated over the arrest of Otto Guialaludin, alias Boy Muslim, a native of Cotabato City, who was tagged as the assassin of the couple.

He said the suspect's arrest could eventually lead to identification of the mastermind or the person who ordered the assassination of the Arcinue couple.

Mayor Arcinue said Guialaludin is a hired killer and it is certain that somebody paid him to do the job. 'I hope he will eventually confess and identify who hired and paid him to do the killing," Arcinue said

Asked what could be the most possible motive of the killing, Mayor Arcinue hinted it could be politics..

The mayor recalled that before the two were shot dead in Sampaloc, Manila, both Ramon and Zorahayda were earlier shot by still unidentified assassin while inside their car along the road in Binmaley town in March 2011.

Both were wounded in the shooting but a driver of a passing soft drink company picked them up and rushed them to Villaflor Hospital in Dagupan and survived.

The warrant for the arrest of Guialaludin for double murder was issued by Judge Marcelino Sayo Jr of the regional trial court, National Capital Judicial Region branch 45 in Manila .

The Arcinue family’s reward offered P250,000 for the arrest of the suspect while the municipal government of Lingayen led by then Mayor Jonas Castaneda, Gov. Amado Espino Jr and the provincial board of Pangasinan also offered additional P250,000 each.

At the same time, the Arcinue family thanked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for her great help that led to the arrest of the suspect. Mayor Arcinue said that without Secretary de Lima, 'this case would have already died.'.

The couple were shot dead in front of their children who were able to positively identify Guialaludin (PNA)